Comparatively successful

RE: Xbox One X hype. Going on my close friends and work colleagues, three people will be purchasing an X on day one. Which on the face of it doesn’t sound like a major endorsement for Microsoft’s 4K behemoth.

However, in the same circle of friends the hardware bought this year consists of just two PS4 Pros, one Xbox One S, and one Switch. So actually considering the high price of the X, then maybe that’s not a bad attach rate after all.

What’s interesting about these purchases (excluding the Switch and Xbox One S) is that all the X and Pro purchases are by people that already own an Xbox One/PlayStation 4 of some kind purely as an upgrade, no one has purchased the rival console.

I know it’s been said before that the X and Pro aren’t meant to have the mass market appeal but I’m genuinely surprised by the upsell rate that Microsoft and Sony have managed, or at least in my circle of friends. Maybe it’s because I was late to jump on this generation, so I’m not eager to upgrade or change as maybe some others are.

Do any readers have friends that are buying a Pro or X as their first console rather than an as an upgrade?Animated Jak

Rewarding effort

Interesting and concerning article on the infamous loot boxes, GC.

I don’t have a problem with cosmetic ones but now it’s even affecting single-player difficulty it’s gone way too far.

I tend to play a game on easy the first time just to enjoy the adventure so the thought of additional difficulty spikes just to get me to pay extra?! Forget it!

In my current financial situation I don’t have much money for gaming so I certainly don’t want to be paying extra just to be able to complete a game without too much stress. I just don’t have the money, so the idea of these single-player loot boxes will affect what games I buy.

I don’t personally get the thrill of opening a box compared with actually earning something. I remember with Resident Evil 4’s Mercenaries mode on PlayStation 2 you had to get a 5 star rating with every character on every map to unlock the Hand Cannon to use in the main game. It took a lot for me to do it but when I did I felt so rewarded. Gaming has changed a lot since then and not all for the better.LastYearsModel09 (PSN ID)

Single-player only

The concept of loot boxes has concerned me more and more the past years. Not-So-Mini-WoD has squeezed me for a few pounds on various games – and the value for money aspect (or lack of) and the random nature of a lot of this has sullied the games for me as a result.

I was already a little concerned about Battlefront II but did have it on pre-order, but after the article have cancelled it – just a shame there was no ‘why did you cancel’ text box to leave a comment on the reason for the cancellation. I may pick the game up down the line when prices have dropped for the campaign but would expect the multiplayer to be near impossible for me to catch up on by then…no great shakes, I was really hoping they would have given some expanded VR support for the game this time, so it is just the campaign for me.

Separate subject: The Wii U version of Breath of the Wild is brilliant, fantastic game… but there’s something that winds me up here as well. The fact that due to the Switch we are playing a curtailed version of the game and not the definitive one where the controller would have had more functionality. Did GameCentral ever play an early version of the game on the Wii U to see how the controller would have/should have been integrated in the game? Still a fantastic game, but shame we will never play it as it was intended…WoDMaN

GC: Yes, but the Wii U demo was only the first 20 minutes of the game, so you never got to see much. It was clear that the Shekiah slate was meant to be an in-game representation of the GamePad though, which makes it fairly easy to guess how it would’ve worked.

Case for the defence

I’d like to offer an opposing opinion on loot boxes and their effect on gaming. As a preface, I do not buy loot crates but have bought the occasional expansion pass, Destiny 2 being the most recent.

The main crux of the argument appears to be being coerced into parting with more money to overcome game mechanics intentionally designed to hold the player back. I personally don’t see this as the case in the most common examples of Shadow Of War and Battlefront II.

I’m currently playing through Shadow Of War and am yet to reach the much discussed endgame difficulty spike. Hearing of a such a spike did not shock me as uneven difficulty pacing has been a feature of video games since time immemorial. Usually, difficulty problems receive a one-paragraph mention in reviews and the player resigns themselves to a bit of grind to hurdle that section of the game.

It seems that the presence of optional loot crates has suddenly made the above completely unacceptable. I would wager that this is partly psychological; simply knowing you can pay to make the game easier is lessening player’s enjoyment as they refuse to part with the money to do so. I believe, had the option not been there, gamers would have pushed through the end and mentioned to others in later discussion, ‘Yeah, the game was great but the end was a bit too hard’.

On top of that, the option to pay to make a game easier has always existed in gaming; strategy guides and the Nintendo Hotline being prime examples.

In regards to Battlefront II, I would first remark that we have only played an early beta and do not know if the character progression will work in the same fashion in the full release.

Having said that, I played the beta on and off over both the closed and open periods and at no time found myself disadvantaged compared to another player by anything other than my own skill (except when Darth Maul came out, but that’s another story…).

For Battlefield II, I feel the real issue is randomised progression and I’m sure that’ll be picked up in the reviews. Knowing EA, if the backlash is strong enough they’ll patch in a better progression system down the line.

In summary, the mechanics which loot crates are designed to overcome either: a) have been present in the video game industry since its inception or b) are simply bad mechanics which will be critically reviewed accordingly so players know before going in.ES

GC: Loot crates aren’t designed to overcome anything, they’re designed to make money. But you make some fair points. Although the issue with Shadow Of War, and any single-player game that includes loot boxes, is precisely that you can’t trust the difficultly level. Is the difficult spike at the end a genuine design decision or just an excuse to tempt people into buying loot boxes? It creates a level of distrust and uncertainty that is very concerning.

Anti-publisher policies

Thanks for your article on using loot boxes turning gaming into a gambling and advantage addiction.

Fully support your call to boycott these games and I was doing it anyway due to other despicable anti-consumer class war practices by horrible publishers and some bad developers too.

For example, I love Dishonored and bought that game three times. So you can imagine my excitement for Dishonored 2, but ever since Bethesda and Zenimax announced and implemented their anti-consumer late reviews policy, I have not touched Dishonored 2 at all. And will do so for Wolfenstein II, and The Evil Within 2, next Doom… and whatever game they release. Bethesda are my favourite publisher of games. What does that really matter when their contempt for gamers is so badly exposed?

I really hope critics and reviewers do their part more so, and make sure your score for these games get severely docked for horrid loot boxes that affect gameplay.bowsers2

Dealing with doubles

Just like to state my views on the loot box situation and what I think should be done to win over those who doubt them.

While it is a good idea to implement these, and while I can see how they would be a great way to give gamers an extra added incentive, there is one issue that needs addressed and fixed fast by developers.

Those who buy loot boxes are at risk of getting the same in-game items again that they already purchased and as of such, it would just be a waste of their money and time. This could be countered with developers ensuring that loot boxes do not give the gamer the items they already own and would ensure that there would not be a risk of anyone buying the same content they already own. It would also ensure that a person’s money would not be wasted, but would make sure that there would not be any gambling involved and would save a lot of problems.

Also, developers could with loot boxes during the Christmas season give players some really good DLC included in the loot box to show gamers that their custom is appreciated and to act as a goodwill gesture.

Just my views on this and I warmly welcome anyone’s response.gaz be rotten (gamertag)

Squeaky clean

I’ve created an Xbox Live Club called Clean Racing League for anyone who wants good clean competitive racing without people ramming you off the track, cutting corners or other forms of cheating to win. If anyone is interested you can search for the group and ask to join or send me a message on Xbox Live.

A lot of us are playing Forza Motorsport 7 and Project CARS 2, with them being the two newest titles on Xbox One, but I am looking for players of older racing games as well such as the previous Forzas, including the Horizon subseries, Project CARS 1, Assetto Corsa, DiRT 4 and if anyone can think of other titles they play and want to find other people please let me know and I’ll add it to the list of relevant games.Big Angry Dad82 (gamertag)

The law is an ass

Along with yourselves, Eurogamer also had a very good article about the ins and outs of loot boxes and whether it is gambling or not. In the eyes of the law, apparently it is not considered gambling because the prizes you win have no intrinsic monetary worth and can’t be used outside the game.

This only goes to show how horribly outdated our laws and regulations are. There is plenty of evidence that these items have worth for lots of people. I can barely go 10 seconds of every Rocket League match I play before a message for ‘Trade?’ pops up.

Cash money itself has no real physical value, its value is dictated by our society and government. That all-round one pound coin you had last week will be a metal rock in your pocket by the end of the next one.
Via Eurogamer, the Gambling Commission states, ‘Where prizes are successfully restricted for use solely within the game, such in-game features would not be licensable gambling’.

Forgive me if I’m talking nonsense, but this sounds like casino gambling, but with the added restriction that you can never cash in your winnings (sorry, ‘prizes’). You can spend money on chips, you can earn some nice prizes, but the prizes can only be spent in the casino/game because then it’s not technically gambling.
It’s actually worse than regular gambling, because there is no reason or hope for the punter to leave. You can win a million, but that million can only be spent in the same casino.

Red Dead Redemption has a gambling warning from PEGI, Battlefront II does not. In Red Dead Redemption you are playing poker for pretend money, in Battlefront II you are playing Snakes and Ladders for the real deal.

Something needs to change.SuoTempore (PSN ID)

Inbox also-rans

When’s you’re The Evil Within 2 review going to be published?Paul

GC: Hopefully early next week.

It’s time to update… scowl, update over, another ruddy dashboard. What was wrong with the last one? Nothing! This is probably the worst one yet! Sighhhh, I’m sure I’ll get used to it. Anyway, Mario’s here in a week or summat Wooooo!big boy bent (gamertag)

GC: This sounds like an Xbox One complaint, but it hasn’t had a dashboard update this week?

This week’s Hot Topic

The subject for this weekend’s Inbox was suggested by reader msv858 (Twitter), who asks what’s your favourite start to a video game?

It doesn’t matter whether it’s a non-interactive intro or cut scene, the opening moments of the first level, or the whole thing, but what do you think is the most memorable and effective start to a game? How important is it that a game grabs you straight away, or are you okay with a slow burn?

How long does it take you to make a first decision about a game, and what’s the quickest you’ve ever given up on one? Conversely, what’s the quickest you’ve realised a game is a classic, and that you’re definitely going to love it?